Fire escape



March 23 1926.

N.. TOBIAS FIRE ESCAPE Filedbec. 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI/Euro1;

Las

ATTORNEYS Lman Tab WITNESSES Pamesa Mar. 23, 1926.

Unirse STATES NEUMAN ToBIAs, or KINGSTON, JAMAICA, imrrrsn was'r minas.

A FIRE ESCAPE.

Application filed December 14, 1922. Serial No. 666,881.

To @Zlio/lam t may con cern f Bo it known that l, Nnuimn Tomas, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Kingston, Jamaica,British West lndies, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapes, of whichY the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention provides preferably a fire escape of the cable type, although obviously the same may be used for other purposes, as for acting like a rope hoist for raising and lowering workmen and inanimate objects, as will be understood from what follows.

rlfhe invention, which, vof course, may be variously embodied, comprises essentiallya flexible element, as a steel cable,` and combined guiding and braking means for a looped intermedia-te part of the cable or the like, which means is easily manually controlled as to the last-named function and also automatically controlled in regard thereto according to the weight .of the person or object being low-ered, thereby to `prevent too precipitate a descent'and indeed lto predetermine the rate of descent' of objects of different weights in such manner that practically irrespective of the weight thereof all objects will descend at substantially the same predetermined speed according to the design of the apparatus.

The object last Aindicated is attained by arranging one of the guiding elements for the cable, preferably a roller, as a combined idler roller and variable clutch member, preferably so functioning inregard to the supporting shaft or stud relative to which the roller is rotatable. This roller will hereinafter be referred to as the main clutch roller. ln order to insure a predetermined braking action, so that the latter will -i-ncrease with an increase of weight over predetermined or average weight, the main clutch roller is preferably provided with a hub or inner portion directly engaging -such stud and more or less Iwarpable to embrace said stud (which, of course, 'is preferably fixed) more or less tightly, as the weight sus@ pended by the cable is more or less than said predetermined or average weight. 'lo these ends the intermediate portion of the cable is wrapped preferably a plurality of turns around the main clutch roller; and, as the invention may also be carried out according to at least one embodiment, the cable, beyond the main clutch roller, isy preferably guided toward emergence from the combined guiding and braking means in such a way that the angle of eniergence, varying as Ythe weight of the object being suspended varies, controls the functioning of an auxiliary device for braking the lable or retarding the rate of its passage through said means.

The last-mentioned en'ibodiment is the preferred one, as the invention is at 4present appraised, and in such embodiment Asaid combined guiding and braking means is most conveniently associated with an endless cable and is secured in place at an elevated point, as adjacent to a window or door ina hotel, private dwelling or other building relative to which the fire escape or hoist is' 'to be employed.

According to another possible embodiment, however, one end of the cable, which is not necessarily endless, is secured in ,place at such elevated point, and said combined guiding and brakingl means may travel up and down the length of said cable as the .person or object being served by the apparatus is raised or. lowered.Y

Various other objects and advantages of the invention willrbe in part apparent and in part specifically pointed .out hereinafter.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the Vtwo embodiments above mentioned are illustratively disclosed, but merely as examples of various possible ways in which the ii'iventionmay be practically carried out; the scope of protection contemplated being indicated by theappended claims.

' In said drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the endless cable embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, with.

the front or cover plate removed, and with certain of the other .parts partiallybroken` away and partially in section;

Fig. Sis a horizontal section taken on line `3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 4; of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail, showing one of the pair of rollers of the auxiliary guiding and brakingrdevice, being a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the main clutch roller, detached;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing what may be termed the coil-separator, detached;

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the other embodiment hereinabove mentioned, certain of the hidden parts being indicated in broken lines, as are also certain of the parts when thrown to a temporary position to facilitate coiling the cable on the main clutch roller;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation o-f the parts shown in Fig. 8, certain of the parts being partially broken away and partially in section;

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a detail view showing the coil separator of this embodiment, detached.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the endless cable is indicated at 12, to which may be attached, as indicated at 13 in Fig. 1, a suitable clamp for suspending a belt or other appropriate appliance to engage the object or person being served, as by being passed under the armpits of a person to be low-ered. All the other parts shown in these views comprise the combined guiding and braking means of the invention. Such parts include a base plate 15 which may have apertures 16 to permit said means to be securely anchored in place to vor near a door, window or other part of Y the building from which the escape, if used as such, may be most conveniently operated.

l j Y periphery. Such roller is preferably split, or made in two halves, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to balance the action of the portions 22d of each half and, in e'ect, to provide a single roller element warpable and clutchable on stud 17 in response to the tension of the particular loop wound around the same. An incidental advantage of this construction is a greater ease in partially disassembling and reassembling the parts, particularly in re- 'lation to properly engaging the cable 12 with the main clutch roller on removing merely cover plate 19 as just descrilbed. Engagement ofthe cable is even easier, if the outer half of the roller and the wedge member 23 are also removed, just before the cable is given its first loop around the roller; these last-mentioned parts being slipped back into place, just before the cable is given its second loop around the roller.

rlhe auxiliary ydevice which may in the above construction be also incorporated with great advantage, includes the combination of a preferably horseshoe-shaped steel or equivalent spring 24 preferably suspended at its upper center on stud 20, so that its depending side lengths constitute side walls or closures for a cover construction including cover plate 19. A pair of rollers 25 and 26 are revolubly mounted between the lower forked ends of spring 24, which rollers have staggered peripheral grooves, the roller 25 having its groove underlying the inner half of main roller 22, and the roller 26 having Mounted on said plate 15 is a shaft or stud its groove underlying the outer half of said 100 17 the outer threaded end of which, as indicated at 17a in Fig. 4, is adapted to receive a nut18 to secure in place a plane cover plate 19. Such cover is, of course, provided with a central aperture to receive the threaded end of stud 17, and also has a pair of upper and lower apertures for accommo- Idating the outer ends of auxiliary stud shafts 2O and 21 for loosely mounting certain other rotatable elements hereinafter described.

The main clutch roller 22 is loose on the central enlargement of stud 17. This roller is formed of some resilient metal, as steel, and is split as indicated at 22aL and 22", and at the inner end of split 22a is provided with a T-liead terminus 22c as illustrated to incorporate as a unitary portion of the roller -a main spring portion 22d.

It will be seen from the structure as so far described that cover 19 may be easily removed subsequent to removing nut 18, for the purpose of properly winding an intermediate portion of cable 12 in a plurality of helical loops on the outer periphery of the main clutch roller; these loops being at all times held thus helically and held against kinlring and mutual entanglement by means of the incorporation as shown of a crescentshaped coil separator or wedge member 23 seated in a continuous groove on the roller main roller as indicated at 26a in Fig. 5. Midway between rollers 25 and 26, but 0f sufficiently small diameter to permit a limited play of the pivotally suspended spring 24, is a roller 27 loose on stud 21. This roller 27 is provided with a pair of parallel peripheral grooves, of which the groove 27 a lies opposite the groove 26a' of roller 26 and the groove 27h lies opposite the groove of roller 25.

It will be noted that the lowerV curved face of a centrally enlarged portion 24a of spring 24 coacts with the terminal points of a curved recess 232L at the top of coil separater 23 (Fig. 2) to hold the latter part fixed during relative rotation of the main clutch roller.

Operation-Assuming a person has slipped the `strap 14 under his arm-pits, and steps 4free of a window ledge or the like, or even leaps therefrom, the down-pull on the depending length of cable 12 carry ing such strap immediately acts according to the design of the parts to flex the spring portions 22d of the halves of the main clutch Y Cil son. Also, simultaneous with the braking or clutch action set up as just described, the weight ot the load onthe descending lengthor'V cable 12 rocks the spring 24 to throw'the roller 26 suiiiciently to the lright of Fig. 2 to impart a slight friction-drag on the length ot the cable running upwardly between rollers and 27, as a result of the closer approach ot these two last-mentioned rollers. Further, the person being lowered may nicely control the rate ol' his descent by manipulating the uprunning length ot cable, and, as actual experiments in connection with esca-pes from high places have demonstrated, the descending person may bring himself to a .stop at any point by very slight pressure on said uprunning cable length. Likewise, the person being lowered approaches the groundas slowly as may be desired, and alights without a jerk.

Obviously, the apparatus just described may as well be used for other than litesavingpurposes, and may even be used for hoisting objects ot'great weight easily and aty afnicely controlledl ate of ascent, as during the erection or'V structures and in connection with engineering works of all kinds.

Referring now tofthe embodiment shown inFigs. 3 to ll, which does not employ an endless cable, butinsteada cable lQ/'adapted tohave its upper end, which may convenientlyrcarry an eye-piece as indicated at 23, attached to the elevatedpointv from whichdescent is to be made when the apparatus is used as a lire escape, the combined guidingL and braking means comprises a self-complete structure which travels down the. cable with the person seeking escape from such,elevatedxpoint, and may then be causedto travel up thevcable in preparation for the rescue of another persen.

Such structure, it willbe seen, includes a handihold member 29 securely attached' to one ofthe two face plates 30 and 3l: of the structure, to which member, if desired, may be shackled an airn-pit'beltv similar to the belt lotFig. l.

These tace plates 30 and 31' are secured in predeterminedspaced relation by means ot' a central shaft or stud 3 a, which may desi 'ably be riveted atene end to plate 3l. This stud at its other end is provided with a threaded reduced extension to take a clamp nut 32 as shown. These two plates are also spaced at top and bottom by means ot' studs 33, such studs rotatably carrying oppositely coned idler rollers 3a.

p The ends Ot the last-mentioned studs on the plate 30 are loosely received in the suitable apertures through said plate indicated, and the central stud 3l loosely supports the main clutch roller indicated at 35 and here employed also to receive helically a plurality of loops of an intermediate por tial disassembly for tion of' the cable. This roller is also of the split type', that'is, is comprisedof two identical halves, and associated with an interposed coil separator, as in the case of the embodiment of Fig. l, such separator being here marked 3 6. As a resultv otthese provisions, the present construction, like that ot Fig. l, has the incidental advantage ot being very easily and simply given a parv properly associating the structure. with the cable, in that a loosening and removal of a central nut (here the nut permits readjusting ot one of the plates relative to the other as a preparatory step properly to thread into place the looped portions of' the cable. Thus, on loosening such nut 32, the plate 30 may be moved away from plate 3l sufiiciently to clear the studs and then rotated aboutl the central stud 3l until redisposed asfindic'ated in broken lines in Fig. 8 at 30.

It. will be seen bestfrom Fig. l() that the halves ot the main clutch roller are pret"- erably ccnstructedwith -slits like those employed in' the main roller of. Fig. l and for a similar purpose.

The coil separatorI 36, herein employed, is oty slightly diiferent' design, being ot a generally circular outline except toriaA peripheral opening 36a through which the cable smoothly passes in merging from one coilintoA anotherjon the mainclutch roller, andhaving a'ccntral'opening 36b for' loosely taking about stud3'l'; Separator 36 is permanently anchored to plate 31 by means ora shapedspa'cer and cable-guider member 37 securely attached to the separator and .said plate7 which attachment mayv conL veniently'be by rivet andl screw means as indicated;

The operation ot theapparatusas so tar described will be readily understood, Y'the manner of passage otfthe cable through the" apparatus'being4 clearly shown in Figs. 9`

and l0; during' whichpassage, ot course, the apparatus and'its burden descend at the required rate ot' speed commensurate'with the weightcompensating, automatic drag actionl ofL main clutch roller 35,.according to the theory and descriptionfot operation l of:I the embodimentV ofFig. l.

The apparatus of Fig. 8 may also include, as an equivalent of the auxiliary braking and controlling-'means carried by the horseshoe-spring 2st of Fig. l., the following parts, whereby the rate of descent may be further cont-rolled and stoppage at any point may be had. These parts include asplit handle or' auxiliary friction controller comprising a pair of relatively movable grip-members 38 and 39, the former of which is suitably secured rigidly to plate 30 as indicated at 40, and the latter otwhich is pivotally mounted on plate 3l as indicated at 41. Anchored in place in handle members 38 and Cil 39 are bloc :s orvdrags of suitable friction material, as pieces of hard rubber 42 for gripping the part of cable l2 passing between the handle members when they are j squeezed together.

scent at any point.

inasmuch as many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely di'i'erent embodiments oit' my invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It will also be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features ot the invention herein described and all statements of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to 'tall therebetween.

l claim:

l. A suspensory apparatus adapted for the lowering of weights, including two elements comprising a cable and a cable-guiding structure one of which is adapted to be suspended from a fixed point of support and the other of which is adapted to have mounted thereon the weight to be lowered, said cable-guiding structure including a clutch device including a resilient and warpable main clutch roller, said cl`utch roller being slit at a plurality of points around its periphery and one of such slits being substantially T-shaped, said cable being looped about said roller, and means responsive to the weight of the object being lowered ttor controlling the actuation of such clutch device thereby to reduce variation of rates oi descent 'tor objects ot dilierent weights.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a cable, a cable-guiding and controlling structure adapted to be suspended from a fixed point, said structure including a resilient warpable roller about which a portion ofthe cable is looped, means for .maintaining the loops of the cable separated from each other, and tensioning means influencing leads of said cable to maintain the loops associated with said roller.

3. A suspensory apparatus adapted for the lowering` of weights, including two elements comprising a cable and a cable-guiding structure one of which is adapted to be suspended from a fixed point of support and the other of which is adapted tohave mounted thereon the weight to be lowered, said cable-guiding structure including` a clutch device including a resilient and warpahle main clutch roller, and means responsive to the weight of the object being lowered for controlling the actuation of such clutch device thereby to reduce variation of rates ot' descent for objects of different weights, said clutch roller being of two parts and each part having wound over the same one of a pair oit helically related loops of said cable, there being provided a loopseparator which is disposed intermediate the opposite ends of said roller.

e. A suspensory apparatus adapted for the lowering of weights, including two elements comprising a cable and a cable-guiding structure one of which is adapted to be suspended from a fixed point of support and the other of which is adapted to have mounted thereon the weight to be lowered, said cable-guiding structure including a clutch device including a resilient and warpable main clutch roller, and means respon sive to the weight of the object being lowered for, controlling the actuation of such clutch device thereby to reduce variation of rates of descent for objects of different weights, said clutch roller being of two parts and each part having wound over the same one of a pair of helically related loops of said cable, there being provided a loop-separator disposed intermediate the opposite ends of the roller and having a shaped portion directed toward the roller portion adjacent to which one loop merges into the other.

NEUMAN TOBIAS. 

